Device for folding and ramming the lower edge of a shoe upper over a last in heel shaping machines



DEVICE FOR FOLD THE LOWER EDGE OF A SHOE UPPER July 16, 1968 H. WILISCH 3,3 ,4 3

1 AND RAMMING 0V A LAST IN HEEL SHAPING MACHINES Filed Aug. 17, 1965 United States Patent 3,392,413 DEVICE FOR FOLDING AND RAMMING THE LOWER EDGE OF A SHOE UPPER OVER A LAST IN HEEL SHAPING MACHINES Horst Wilisch, Pittlerstrasse 46, Postfach 155, 6070 Langen, Hesse, Germany Filed Aug. 17, 1965, Ser. No. 480,308 Claims priority, application Germany, Sept. 3, 1964, W 37,493 7 Claims. (Cl. 12--53.5)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A heel band surrounds a heel shaping head, over which a shoe-upper insertion head is removably located; after insertion of an upper, an inflatable pressure cushion shapes the upper around the head and then a heated pressure pad folds it over the heel shaping head.

Heel shaping machines are known with glueing devices for the stiffener, in which the upper is inverted over a heated heel-shaping head, stretched by clamps and then pressed against the heel-shaping head by means of a horseshoe-shaped inflatable cushion. With these machines, heel components of sandals or sandalettes cannot be processed, or at least cannot be processed satisfactorily. Sandal and sandalette heel components are too short to be properly held by the clamps and stretched against the shaping head. As -a result, it is impossible to secure the heel components accurately as to dimensions and position on the heel-shaping head and so immovably that, on inflation of the pressure cushion, the shape required for the shoe structure is obtained.

Furthermore, with these machinesand this conclusion applies to all types of shoeonly the shaping of the heel and the sticking of the stiffener is effected, while the lower edge of the upper is only slightly arched in an inward direction.

Efficient production requires, however, the lower edge of the upper to be bent over at a sharp angle in order to obtain a good transition to the heel and a secure seating on the heel.

Although it is possible with normal uppers to effect the folding over of the lower edge of the upper in the case of subsequent lasting on to the inner with tacks or with heel glueing machines, with the short heel components of sandals this is not possible.

For this reason, the heel components of sandals and sandalet-tes have hitherto had to be lasted with considerable difliculty by hand.

The present invention represents an important advance on this state of the technique, since, without great technical outlay, it automatically eliminates the difficulies, which arise in the case of the forming and lasting of heel components of sandals and sandalettes, and substantially reduces the working time.

According to the invention the device consists of a shaping head, which is installed in a known manner in a heel shaping machine and has a heelplate-insertion guide; furthermore, elements are provided for adjustment of the height of the shaping head. The insertion guide facilitates the insertion at the correct point dimensionally of the upper or heel component. Known clamps grip the upper or heel component and draw it securely on to the heelshaping head 1. A horseshoe-shaped pressure cushion moves toward the shaping head, is inflated and surrounds the heel component on the shaping head, these operations being controlled according to the operational stages.

After withdrawal of the pressure cushion a specially shaped pressure pad is lowered in programcontrolled fashion on to the supporting surface and applies con- 3,392,413 Patented July 16, 1968 trollable pressure to the lower edge of the upper in the area of the heel, which has already been to some extent preshaped by the pressure cushion.

For the ironing on of heel components of sandals and sandalettes, which are too short to be capable of being gripped by known clamps, a heel band is provided, shaped in such a way that it is gripped by clamps in exactly the same way as in other cases the upper or. heel components. In this way the part of the upper or heel piece, which has been correctly positioned on the heelshaping head by means of the insertion guide, is pressed firmly against it. Due to the shape of the upper heel band edge and its position in relation to the upper edge of the shaping head, the lower edge of the upper has already been pressed slightly inwards.

According to further preferred features of the invention there may also be provided a piston, which is controlled in synchronism with the device which imparts movement to the pressure cushion (or shaping piece) and is fitted with a pressure pad and a plexiglass protective plate which is likewise time-synchronized.

The device is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings with the heel-band, since the arrangement for normal uppers will also be clear from this drawing together with the description.

FIG. 1 shows a metal heel last (shaping head) in side view and an insertion guide, a shoe upper and a heelband in section,

FIG. 2 is a transverse section through the heelband and the last as far as the heel-shaping head,

FIG. 3 is a plan view,

FIG. 4 is a section through the device with the insertion guide folded back into an inoperative position, the heel band pressed against the heel and an inflated pressure cushion applied,

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section of the device with the press pad lowered, having pressed the lower edge of the upper into a concave part of the heel-shaping head, and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view showing on an enlarged scale how the bending over of the lower edge of the upper is effected by means of a specially shaped part of the inflatatable cushion in the heel zone,

FIG. 7 is a timing diagram of the sequence of operations.

Referring to the drawings, the device includes a heelshaping head 1 of aluminum or other metal, which is removably mounted in a holder 12 by means of a cylindrical projection 13. The necessary height compensation vis-a-vis a U-shaped pressure cushion 9 and its rim position 9' is provided by the insertable rings 14 of different heights between the holder 12 and the heel-shaping head 1.

An insertion guide 4 held on a pivotable arm 4a is provided. Guide 4 is in the form of .a heel-like disc, which can be folded back and, has an adjusting screw 5 for height adjustment.

Above the shaping head 1 is fixedly located a compressed air-operated cylinder (not shown), the piston rod head 7 of which carries a heated pressure pad 8, which has approximately the shape of a heel. The under side of the heated pressure pad 8 is of convex shape, whereas the upper side of the shaping head 1 is of concave shape, the effect of which is that the lower edge part 3 of the upper, on being pressed in, is drawn down slightly below the horizontal, to compensate for the tendency of the edge part 3 to spring back upwardly on removal of the pressure.

In order to provide reliable protection for the operators hands against the pressure pad 8 during the operating stroke of the cylinder, a protective device 11 in the form of a Plexiglas plate, controlled in a vertical direction by its own cylinder (not shown), is arranged to move in front of the space between the blank and the pressure pad 8 prior to the downward movement of the latter.

A horseshoe-shaped inflatable pressure cushion 9 is moveable horizontally from the position indicated in broken lines in FIG. 1 towards and away from the position in which it is shown partly broken away in FIG. 4.

When the device is used for shaping heel components of sandals and sandalettes, there is inserted a heel band 6, fitting around part of the circumferential surface of head 1 (see FIG. 6) the ends of which are so shaped that they can be gripped by clamps. The construction of the pressure cushion 9, together with the adjustability for height of the heel-shaping head 1 by means of the rings 14 automatically ensures a sharp-edge folding over of the edge part 3, which after withdrawal of the pressure cushion 9 remains inclined forwardly until the pressing operation is effected by the pressure pad 8. FIG. 6 shows on a larger scale the method of operation of the pressure cushion 9 directly prior to inflation.

The operations involved in working with the heel band 6 are as follows: On withdrawal of the pressure cushion 9, the insertion guide 4, the height of which is exactly adjusted by means of the adjusting screw 5 according to the heel piece 2 and the edge part 3, is moved into position (FIG. 1), after which the heel components 2 are inserted and the heel band 6 is tightened (FIG. 7, point A). The heel band 6 remains stretched until the conclusion of the pressing process (FIG. 7, point E).

After the heel band 6 has been stretched, the insertion guide 4 is withdrawn and the pressure cushion 9 is brought into position and placed under load (FIG. 7, point B).

As soon as the pressure cushion 9 is brought into position, the protective device 11 is lowered into the position 11a so that, at the start of the working stroke of the pressure pad 8, the working space is already protected. Released from its load, the pressure cushion 9 returns auto matically after a predetermined period (FIG. 7, point C). At the same time, in direct sequence, the pressure pad 8 descends and effects the ramming in of the edge part 3.

After a predetermined period (FIG. 7, point D), the automatic operating mechanism is again actuated and operates to release the pressure pad.

The shaping elements are controlled by two time-control circuits as well known in the art, and timed as in FIG. 7, the first of which regulates adjustably the shaping of the heels by the pressure cushion 9 and the second the ramming operation by the pressure pad 8.

The arrangement of the insertion guide 4 permits accurate positioning thereof on the shaping head 1 to be effected without time-consuming trials. The replaceable shaping head 1 can in the case of extremely large or small heel component dimensions be adjusted for height by the rings 14. The arrangement .of the heel band 6 of leather or plastic material, which is stretched by a tensioning device 10, holds the heel firmly. The Plexiglas protective device 11, the movement of which is included in the automatic control system, affords effective protection in front of the descending pressure pad 8 without interfering with observation. Finally, the concave upper shaping surface 1a .of the heel shaping head 1 and the convex shape of the under surface of the pressure pad ensures the necessary bending round of the edge part 3, even if, as a result of the natural tension of the material, it springs upward again to some extent on conclusion of the pressing operation.

This device provides shoe manufacturers with a reliable instrument for the folding round and shaping of the lower edge part 3 of the shoe upper or counter, which is also effective without restrictions for use with very short sandal and sandalette components. It can, without great expense, either be produced and installed in conjunction with known inflatable pressure cushions as a separate device or be incorporated in known heel shaping machines.

The preliminary folding-over is aided by a projecting nose 50 formed on the pressure cushion, which is located at a position opposite the edge of the head to preliminarily fold the upper around the edge prior to final folding and securing by the pressure pad.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for folding and ramming the lower edge part of a shoe upper on a last comprising an adjustable heel-shaping head having an upper surface and a circumferential surface, a heel 'band adapted, on being tightened around the upper and over the last at least part of the circumferential surface, to hold the last components, a profiled inflatable pressure cushion located adjacent said head to press the heel component of the upper against said heel-shaping head upon inflation of said cushion; a heatable pressure pad; and means mounting said pressure pad for movement against the upper surface of said head to fold and secure the lower edge part of the shoe upper.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, including an insertion guide to guide insertion of the upper moveably mounted and arranged so as to be folded back into nonguiding position.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pressure pad has a convex undersurface and the upper surface of the heel-shaping head is concave.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, including a support for said head, and means adjustably mounting said heelshaping head for heightwise movement, said means comprising selectable rings inserted between said head and its mounting support.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, including a transparent protective shield located in front of the pressure pad, said shield being mounted to close the space round the heel-shaping head and the pressure pad upon motion of said pressure pad toward said head.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movement of the shape-imparting components and their actuating elements are time-controlled and arranged for first causing inflation of the pressure cushion for shaping of the heel and subsequently adjustably regulating folding and securing the edge of the shoe upper by movement of said pressure pad.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1, including a projecting nose formed on said pressure cushion; a folding edge formed on said head; said projecting nose being located on said cushion at a position opposite the folding edge to preliminarily fold the upper around the edge prior to final folding and securing by said pressure pad.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,349,669 8/1920 Gorsuch l2-54.3 2,406,738 9/1946 Brophy l2-53.5 2,915,765 12/1959 Lawretti '1254.3 3,132,362 5/1964 Stapleton 12-54.3 3,256,543 6/1966 Ralph l2l4.4

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner. 

